DELIVERING CONTENT TO ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING LOCAL CACHING SERVERS

• US 20140040346A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yanagihara, Kazuhisa, Burns, Gregory, Gentil, Lionel, Jewell, Darrin B., Thorpe, Jason R., Redner, Jordan L., Vaughan, Gregory B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,095,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that delivers content to an electronic device. The system includes a content provider that obtains a public address of the electronic device from a first request for the content from the electronic device. Next, the content provider uses the public address to identify a local caching server on a local area network (LAN) of the electronic device. Finally, the content provider provides a local address of the local caching server to the electronic device, wherein the local address is used by the electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server and the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.

Claims

1. A method for providing content to an electronic device, comprising:

at a content provider, performing operations for;

obtaining a public address of the electronic device from a request for the content from the electronic device;

using the public address and a global server list to identify a local caching server on a local area network (LAN) of the electronic device; and

providing a local address of the local caching server to the electronic device, wherein the local address is used by the electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server and the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the content provider, performing operations for;

providing information about the CDN to the electronic device, wherein the information about the CDN is used by the electronic device to obtain the content from the CDN upon detecting an error associated with obtaining the content from the local caching server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the error comprises at least one of:

an unavailability of the local caching server;

a corruption of the content; and

an error based on a network between the electronic device and the local caching server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the local caching server further comprises:

at the content provider, performing operations for;

computing a selection value based on the requested content;

acquiring, from the global server list, network information about each of two or more local caching servers on the LAN of the electronic device; and

using the selection value and the network information to assist in identifying the local caching server from among the two or more local caching servers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the local caching server further comprises:

at the content provider, performing operations for;

obtaining a local address of the electronic device from the request for the content;

acquiring, from the global server list, address information about addresses served by each of two or more local caching servers on the LAN of the electronic device; and

using the address information and local address of the electronic device to assist in identifying the local caching server from among the two or more local caching servers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the content provider, performing operations for;

determining that given content is no longer to be provided by a local caching server; and

responsive to making the determination, sending a flush command to the local caching server to cause the local caching server to flush at least the given content from the local caching server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises at least one of audio, video, an image, a book, an application, a font, “

voices,”

a language dictionary, or a software update.

8. A method for providing content from a local caching server, comprising:

at the local caching server, performing operations for;

obtaining a request for the content from an electronic device on a LAN of the local caching server;

if the content is available on the local caching server, using the local caching server to provide the content to the electronic device through the LAN; and

if the content is not available on the local caching server, using the local caching server to;

download the content from a CDN outside the LAN;

cache the downloaded content; and

provide the downloaded content to the electronic device through the LAN.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

at the local caching server, performing operations for;

registering the local caching server with a registration server, the registering comprising providing information to the registration server including at least one of a certificate, a public address of the local caching server, the local address, a GUID for the local caching server, and LAN-specific information for the local caching server.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

at the local caching server, performing operations for;

flushing one or more items of content from the local caching server upon determining that the items of content should no longer be provided by the local caching server.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

at the local caching server, performing operations for;

determining that the one or more items of content should no longer be provided by the local caching server when at least one of the following is true;

the one or more items of content are determined to be one or more of illegal, harmful, expired, or outdated;

a public address of the local caching server indicates that the content cannot be provided by the local caching server;

or

the local caching server has not been used within a pre-specified period of time.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

at the local caching server, performing operations for;

receiving, from the electronic device, an indication that at least a portion of the provided content is corrupt; and

acquiring at least the portion of the provided content in an uncorrupted state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein acquiring at least the portion of the provided content in an uncorrupted state comprises:

at the local caching server, performing operations for;

verifying that at least the portion of a copy of the provided content that is stored in the local caching server is corrupt;

upon verifying the corruption of at least the portion of the copy of the provided content, flushing at least the portion of the copy of the provided content from the local caching server; and

re-downloading at least the portion of the copy of the provided content to be stored in the local caching server.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a first electronic device with computing capabilities, cause the first electronic device to perform a method for providing content to a second electronic device, the method comprising:

obtaining a public address of the second electronic device from a request for the content from the second electronic device;

using the public address and a global server list to identify a local caching server on a local area network (LAN) of the second electronic device; and

providing a local address of the local caching server to the second electronic device, wherein the local address is used by the second electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server and the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

providing information about the CDN to the second electronic device, wherein the information about the CDN is used by the second electronic device to obtain the content from the CDN upon detecting an error associated with obtaining the content from the local caching server.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the error comprises at least one of:

an unavailability of the local caching server;

a corruption of the content; and

an error based on a network between the second electronic device and the local caching server.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the local caching server further comprises:

computing a selection value based on the requested content;

acquiring, from the global server list, network information about each of two or more local caching servers on the LAN of the second electronic device; and

using the selection value and the network information to assist in identifying the local caching server from among the two or more local caching servers.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the local caching server further comprises:

obtaining a local address of the second electronic device from the request for the content;

acquiring, from the global server list, address information about addresses served by each of two or more local caching servers on the LAN of the second electronic device; and

using the address information and local address of the second electronic device to assist in identifying the local caching server from among the two or more local caching servers.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that given content is no longer to be provided by a local caching server; and

responsive to making the determination, sending a flush command to the local caching server to cause the local caching server to flush at least the given content from the local caching server.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the content comprises at least one of audio, video, an image, a book, an application, a font, “

voices,”

a language dictionary, or a software update.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a first electronic device with computing capabilities, cause the first electronic device to perform a method for providing content as a local caching server, the method comprising:

obtaining a request for the content from a second electronic device on a LAN of the local caching server;

if the content is available on the local caching server, using the local caching server to provide the content to the second electronic device through the LAN; and

if the content is not available on the local caching server, using the local caching server to;

download the content from a CDN outside the LAN;

cache the downloaded content; and

provide the downloaded content to the second electronic device through the LAN.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

registering the local caching server with a registration server, the registering comprising providing information to the registration server including at least one of a certificate, a public address of the local caching server, the local address, a GUID for the local caching server, and LAN-specific information for the local caching server.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

flushing one or more items of content from the local caching server upon determining that the items of content should no longer be provided by the local caching server.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the one or more items of content should no longer be provided by the local caching server when at least one of the following is true;

the one or more items of content are determined to be one or more of illegal, harmful, expired, or outdated;

a public address of the local caching server indicates that the content cannot be provided by the local caching server;

or

the local caching server has not been used within a pre-specified period of time.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the second electronic device, an indication that at least a portion of the provided content is corrupt; and

acquiring at least the portion of the provided content in an uncorrupted state.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein acquiring at least the portion of the provided content in an uncorrupted state comprises:

verifying that at least the portion of a copy of the provided content that is stored in the local caching server is corrupt;

upon verifying the corruption of at least the portion of the copy of the provided content, flushing at least the portion of the copy of the provided content from the local caching server; and

re-downloading at least the portion of the copy of the provided content to be stored in the local caching server.

27. A first electronic device that provides content to a second electronic device, wherein the first electronic device comprises:

at least one processor configured to;

obtain a public address of the second electronic device from a request for the content from the second electronic device;

use the public address and a global server list to identify a local caching server on a local area network (LAN) of the second electronic device; and

provide a local address of the local caching server to the second electronic device, wherein the local address is used by the second electronic device to obtain the content from the local caching server and the LAN without accessing a content delivery network (CDN) outside the LAN.

28. The first electronic device of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide information about the CDN to the second electronic device, wherein the information about the CDN is used by the second electronic device to obtain the content from the CDN upon detecting an error associated with obtaining the content from the local caching server.

29. The first electronic device of claim 28, wherein the error comprises at least one of:

an unavailability of the local caching server;

a corruption of the content; and

an error based on a network between the second electronic device and the local caching server.

30. The first electronic device of claim 27, wherein, when identifying the local caching server, the processor is further configured to:

compute a selection value based on the requested content;

acquire, from the global server list, network information about each of two or more local caching servers on the LAN of the second electronic device; and

use the selection value and the network information to assist in identifying the local caching server from among the two or more local caching servers.

31. The first electronic device of claim 27, wherein, when identifying the local caching server, the processor is further configured to:

obtain a local address of the second electronic device from the request for the content;

acquire, from the global server list, address information about addresses served by each of two or more local caching servers on the LAN of the second electronic device; and

use the address information and local address of the second electronic device to assist in identifying the local caching server from among the two or more local caching servers.

32. The first electronic device of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that given content is no longer to be provided by a local caching server; and

responsive to making the determination, send a flush command to the local caching server to cause the local caching server to flush at least the given content from the local caching server.

33. The first electronic device of claim 27, wherein the content comprises at least one of audio, video, an image, a book, an application, a font, “

voices,”

a language dictionary, or a software update.

34. A local caching server that provides content, wherein the local caching server comprises:

at least one processor that is configured to;

obtain a request for the content from an electronic device on a LAN of the local caching server;

if the content is available on the local caching server, provide the content to the second electronic device through the LAN; and

if the content is not available on the local caching server;

download the content from a CDN outside the LAN;

cache the downloaded content; and

provide the downloaded content to the second electronic device through the LAN.

35. The local caching server of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to:

register with a registration server, the registering comprising providing information to the registration server including at least one of a certificate, a public address of the local caching server, the local address, a GUID for the local caching server, and LAN-specific information for the local caching server.

36. The local caching server of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to:

flush one or more items of content from the local caching server upon determining that the items of content should no longer be provided by the local caching server.

37. The local caching server of claim 36, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the one or more items of content should no longer be provided by the local caching server when at least one of the following is true;

the one or more items of content are determined to be one or more of illegal, harmful, expired, or outdated;

a public address of the local caching server indicates that the content cannot be provided by the local caching server;

or

the local caching server has not been used within a pre-specified period of time.

38. The local caching server of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the second electronic device, an indication that at least a portion of the provided content is corrupt; and

acquire at least the portion of the provided content in an uncorrupted state.

39. The local caching server of claim 38, wherein, when acquiring at least the portion of the provided content in an uncorrupted state, the processor is further configured to:

verify that at least the portion of a copy of the provided content that is stored in the local caching server is corrupt;

upon verifying the corruption of at least the portion of the copy of the provided content, flush at least the portion of the copy of the provided content from the local caching server; and

re-download at least the portion of the copy of the provided content to be stored in the local caching server.